than Accardo, but he’s already had Tommy John surgery and that oblique

thing, so I would worry about injuries. I really like Correia, too, but

I think the Giants could get a lot for him in a trade.

My question is why the Giants let a young AAA 3B named Mike Cervenak go to Japan when they are unsure whether they will sign Pedro Feliz beyond 2006. Cervenak’s 2005 AAA stats of .312 19 HR’s and 103 RBI’s seem pretty good. Any idea why this kid never even got a call-up in late 2005 before being let go? — Kevin. D. (Sacramento)

ANSWER: First off, Cervenak is not young. He turns 30 next month.

Second, he went to South Korea, not Japan, where he could make a little

more scratch than he could at Fresno. He has been a minor-leaguer for

eight seasons, including four in a row at Double-A, and while he is a

scrappy player he is not good enough to be considered a potential

replacement for Pedro Feliz. At best he is a utility guy, and numbers at

Fresno do not translate well in the majors. I like Mike and wish he

could have gotten a September callup, but he was not on the 40-man

roster and the team would have had to jettison another player to bring

him up.

There’s been some talk about the Giants getting younger, perhaps as

soon as next year, but is there the talent in their minor league system

to really do that? Phoenix is woeful, except for some bullpen arms, and

Double A ain’t faring too well lately. Are “prospects” like Ishikawa,

Martinez-Esteve, Schierholtz legit? — Noel B. (Los Angeles).

ANSWER: When the Giants talk about getting younger, they mean finding

30-year-olds and not 40-year-olds. They have no prospects I could

seriously identify as potential starters for next year, a big weakness

for this organization. I thought during spring training Schierholtz

might have the best chance, but he’s having a miserable year at Double-A